Gaston B. Cashwell, 1862 - 1916

Cashwell is often referred to as the Pentecostal Apostle to the South. He converted to Pentecostalism in 1906 following a visit to Azusa Street. After 1906 he returned to his native American South to spread the message of the “Holy Ghost Fire.” His story is a particularly interesting one as his life presents, in vivid detail, the interactions between the racially progressive Holiness-Pentecostal movement and the traditionally racist South. It was Cashwell and his followers, particularly M. M. Pinson, that converted the nascent “Church of God” movement in east Tennessee and North Carolina to Pentecostalism.

For more information on Cashwell:

Denominational Histories:
Brumback, Carl. Suddenly From Heaven: A History of the Assemblies of God. Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 1961 (57, 84).

Campbell, Joseph E. The Pentecostal Holiness Church, 1898 – 1948: Its Background and History. Franklin Springs, GA: The Publishing House of the Pentecostal Holiness Church, 1951 (239-41).

Conn, Charles W. Like a Mighty Army: A History of the Church of God, 1886-1976. Cleveland, TN: Pathway Press, 1977 (84-85, 97).

Frodsham, Stanley. With Signs Following: The Story of the Pentecostal Revival in the Twentieth Century. Revised Edition. Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 1946 (41-42).

Kendrick, Klaude. The Promise Fulfilled: A History of the Modern Pentecostal Movement. Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 1971 (56, 62-63).

Academic Histories
Nichol, Joh Thomas. Pentecostalism. New York: Harper & Row, 1966 (36-37, 62, 104-05).

Synan, Vinson. The Holiness Pentecostal Movement in the United States. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1971 (114, 122-29, 133-34, 138-39).

HEAVENLY CALL: RADICAL PACIFISM IN PENTECOSTAL LEADERSHIP AND LITERATURE DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR

If anyone has an interest in reading a short book on the pacifist history of certain Pentecostals during World War One, you can read my book here.

Abstract

Pacifism in the Pentecostal movement was ubiquitous before and during the First World War. However, toward the end of the War, the pacific consensus among Pentecostals was disintegrating. Scholars have attributed the loss of pacifism primarily to two facts: first, a lack of a uniform ideological justification for pacifism among Pentecostals. Second, the loss of pacifism has been attributed to the acculturation that was a product of the upward social mobility of the second and third generation of Pentecostal leaders. While the acculturation argument may have some merit, the lack of uniformity argument does not. The Pentecostal movement was, by the time of the First World War, not homogenous.The theology and practice of Pentecostals varied widely. Even the lack of “uniform ideological justification” would not necessitate a loss of a distinctive doctrine. Though many arguments were advanced for pacifism, there was agreement on the foundational principles of pacifism among the most radically pacifist Pentecostal leaders. Radical pacifists are an understudied subgroup of first-generation Pentecostals. The primary cause of the loss of radical pacifism resulted from a theological process of paring down one’s belief system to foundational truths and contingent truths. The foundational truths are those that serve to characterize the movement. For Pentecostals this includes evangelism, glossolalia, and faith healing. The contingent assertions are negotiable practices that are allowed to disappear as they become irrelevant or inconvenient. For Pentecostals, pacifism belongs to the second category with other abandoned practices such as fire and snake handling, the rejection of medical professionals, mixed gender swimming, movies, and other popular forms of entertainment. It was when pacifism started being perceived as interfering with the foundational doctrine of evangelism that pacifism lost its hold on Pentecostals.

In chapter 1, “Radicals,” I look at some radical Pentecostal pacifists and the methods they employed in their objections to war, as well as the governmental repercussions of these positions. Chapter 2 examines the historiography of Pentecostal pacifism. The chronology of Pentecostal pacifism with relation to the First World War is documented in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 contains a more complete examination of radical Pentecostal pacifism as it existed during World War I by examining its practical and ideological antecedents; including, Quakerism, gender demographics, rural ideologies, and the asceticism that characterized the Holiness Movement. Chapter 5 examines the ideological and scriptural arguments used by radical Pentecostal pacifists in justifying their pacifism. The most frequently used arguments against Christian participation in war break down to five categories: murder, greed, heavenly citizenship, eschatology, and evangelism. Virtually every one of the ideologies has as its underlying principle “evangelism.” Chapter 6 shows how an evolving understanding of evangelism began the process of undermining the radical pacifism of many Pentecostal leaders.

This research included archival materials from Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center in Springfield, MO and Dixon Pentecostal Research Center in Cleveland, TN. The staff members at both archives were very helpful.

Snake Handling in the early history of the Church of God, Cleveland, TN

 In the developmental years of the Church of God, the leadership and membership supported a very radical form of Christianity. This manifested itself in severe pacifism, asceticism, a dogmatic refusal to watch baseball games, refusal to consult medical professionals, and even snake handling.

On January 24, 1914, A. J. Tomlinson, Overseer of the Church of God, wrote of Church of God meetings, "There are marvelous cases of healing, devils cast out, some of the gifts of the Spirit slightly demonstrated, like as of fire seen, angels seen in our midst, serpents and burning fire handled with no harm to the saints..."

On May 9, 1914, J.B. Ellis (the Ellis of "Atkins-Ellis Hall" at Lee University) wrote extensively of snake handling. It is too lengthy to quote here however, he provides a qualified endorsement arguing that it is a sign of the Holy Spirit not intended for all people, but it serves as a testimony to the power of God.

An unnamed author, I think it was probably A.J. Tomlinson, wrote on September 19, 1914, of a successful Church of God meeting led by Brother Hensley. The piece is extensive but in one particularly interesting portion, the author states, "The power of God was demonstrated successfully... and several handled [the rattlesnake] and no one was injured by it. Some were bitten, but with no damage to them.... On Sunday night Sept. sixth they took in a 'Copperhead.' This was handled with as much success as the first, and many were made believers on account of the demonstration of God's power." This article contains many more accounts of snake handling. But, the author closes, "Beware of presumption. Never try to handle a serpent yourself. Be sure that it is the power of God that compels you... then there is no danger."

In an article entitled "White Heated Love: Necessary for the Development of a Perfect Christian Character," published in volume 5, number 44 of the Church of God Evangel the writer notes that members of the Church of God are "Christ-like in their conversation, clean in their lives, free from sin and able by His power to do wonders in healing, signs of tongues, taking up serpents..."

In notes from the Church of God General Assembly of 1914 it is stated, "Our people are taking up serpents and literally handling fire with no harm."

One of the most telling quotes from this period is from the November 21st, 1914 issue of the Church of God Evangel. It reads, "it is true, that poison serpents are taken up and handled any way with no injury to those exercised by the power of God. A few years ago if some one should have mentioned such a thing he would have been considered a fanatic, but among us now it is only looked upon as one of the signs that are expected to follow believers."

There are countless other examples, but to continue to list them is only to belabor a point that is well made. The Church of God (Cleveland, TN) endorsed snake handling from about 1910 until around 1930. To members of the Church of God: do not be ashamed of your church's past. Be proud of spiritual predecessors; those peculiar people who did their best to praise God the only way they knew how. They, like everyone, incorporated their folkways and rural identity into their search for a transcendent experience of the divine. In some cases, the resulting mixture was transformative and endures in Pentecostalism to this day; in other cases, the result was more mutable. Regardless, what is revealed here is the depth of conviction regarding faith. Theirs was not a convenient faith, it was not a popular faith, but it was their faith, sincerely held and fervently practiced.

Last Word: I am putting this together quickly in an attempt to answer a tweet, so I apologize for any grammatical/spelling/writing errors. The writing may be clumsy, but I stand fully behind the research.
You can check some of my sources at the Consortium of Pentecostal Archives.

Verses for Hope

 

Gen. 15:1–6

After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. 2 And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? 3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. 4 And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. 5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Psalm 33:12–22

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,

    the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!

13 The Lord looks down from heaven;

    he sees all the children of man;

14 from where he sits enthroned he looks out

    on all the inhabitants of the earth,

15 he who fashions the hearts of them all

    and observes all their deeds.

16 The king is not saved by his great army;

    a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.

17 The war horse is a false hope for salvation,

    and by its great might it cannot rescue.

18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,

    on those who hope in his steadfast love,

19 that he may deliver their soul from death

    and keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waits for the Lord;

    he is our help and our shield.

21 For our heart is glad in him,

    because we trust in his holy name.

22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,

    even as we hope in you.

1 John 4:16–21

16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Luke 16:19–31

The Rich Man and Lazarus

19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house— 28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”